Heroes Return
by Minerva Starbuck
Summary: This is my first story. Two great heroes return to the original Battlestar Galactica series universe.


HEROES RETURN

By Minerva Starbuck

Disclaimer the original TOS BSG characters in this story belong to Universal copyright. The characters of Colonel Zolan ,Lt. Aries and the Bronze Sun Squadron are my own

Starbuck sat holding the still form of Cy. He couldn't stop crying. He could not have believed for a micron that he, a colonial warrior, and a Cylon, who was supposed to be his enemy, could be friends. That Cy had sacrificed his life for a Human. How had it come to this? Starbuck was now alone after Angela and the baby had left in the ship he had created from parts of his viper and the downed Cylon craft. He looked over at the fallen Cylons and had a thought.

//Maybe I can reactivate Cy// he told himself. //I don't want to be alone.//

He went over to the Cylons and one by one took them over to his shelter. He began disassembling them to cannibalize parts to hopefully get his friend Cy back online.

He remembered how much he was drawn to Angela. How like Athena she was. Her exotic beauty and long flowing dark hair. He thought back to the time when he was juggling both Cassie and Athena aboard the Rising Star. He chuckled to himself. Strangely enough, he realized, he wished that he could have a chance with Athena again. It was her eyes that seemed to haunt his dreams these days. Then his thoughts turned to his closest friends Apollo, Boomer, Zac. They were his brothers in the truest sense of the word.

//I would give my life to bring back Zac if I could..// he thought. Just as he thought this, he began seeing strange lights in the night sky. //Frack! I'm losing my mind// he told himself.

Meanwhile…..

The Pegasus had veered further off into space after the run in with the Cylon baseships.

They had survived and fortunately had not sustained heavy damage. It was a miracle. Commander Cain, the legendary juggernaut himself was thinking about the last time he saw his daughter Sheba . //I miss you baby. I would give my life to see you again.// As soon as he thought that, he turned and looked at the main screen on the battlestar . At once, he saw many lights appearing at amazing speeds.

"Colonel Zolan report. Give me a scan of those objects" said Cain.

"Commander, they're moving so fast I can't keep track of them on my scanner. It's impossible!" Zolan said.

All of a sudden a very bright light encompassed the Pegasus and a loud noise overwhelmed the bridge officers and crew. Those who had chosen to remain onboard with Cain. They all lost consciousness.

Cain awoke to find himself in a room with very bright lights. He looked down at his uniform. It was bright white//Lords…am I dead// he wondered. //Or just well-laundered?// He saw a being dressed all in white, who glowed with a purity that was truly beautiful. The being spoke to Cain, not by words, but what appeared to be telepathic communication.

//Commander Cain. You shall be reunited with your daughter Sheba . For you are destined to help your fellow humans reach their journey. It is not your destiny to be alone.//

"Am I dead?" Cain asked.

//No. You are in a dimension unlike your own. As you are now, we once were. As we are now, you will become. You will be reunited with your daughter and those you love.//

"Wait!!" Cain cried out and then he lost consciousness again and felt an overwhelming peace wash over him.

Cain and Zolan and those aboard the Pegasus awoke. //Was this all a dream?// Cain thought.

There was a gasp.

"Commander! We appear to be in a different section of space? How is this possible?" Zolan asked. Zolan was stunned. He was getting readings of planets and what appeared to be an emergency beacon. "Commander. You are not going to believe this. But one of the planets is inhabited. And the reading is human!" Cain came over to check the readings.

"Are you sure the instruments are functioning properly? " Cain asked Zolan. "One human? All the way out here?"

"Yes, Sir. I've checked them over and over again."

"Launch a viper to check the planet. Only one. We don't know what we may run into. Have Lieutenant Aries report to beta bay." Cain said.

"Yes. Commander. Lt. Aries of Bronze Sun Squadron. Report to beta bay." Zolan sent this communique over to the warrior's barracks. A reply was heard over the intercom.

"Lt. Aries reporting to the bridge. On the way to the launch bay. Will be ready to launch within 60 microns. Over." Lt. Aries reported.

Cain had faith in Lt. Aries. Aries was very much like another warrior he knew briefly. Very much like Starbuck. Aries had also come from Caprica and was brash and young. Aries had light brown hair and brown eyes. Other than that, he and Starbuck could have been brothers.

Aries approached his viper and put his helmet on and climbed into the cockpit.

"Lt. Aries, ready for launch." He spoke into his comm..

"Bronze Sun Squadron Leader. You are ready to launch." Zolan said.

Aries hit his turbo and his viper left the launch tube and went out into space, on approach to the planet below.

Starbuck looked up again into the darkening sky and could not believe his eyes. The lights he had just seen seemed to disappear. //What the?? Is that a viper? Can't be!// he thought. He stood, shielding his eyes against the glare.

//There's a viper approaching the planet!//

He started to run towards the approaching viper and watched in amazement as it landed.

He thought his mind was playing tricks on him. He slowly approached the viper.

The cockpit of the viper opened and out climbed Lt. Aries.

"Are you Lieutenant Starbuck?'' Aries asked. He remembered Starbuck from his days in the academy on Caprica. They were in a class together.

"Aries! By the Lords. It's good to see you!" Starbuck said. " Weren't you assigned to Cain's command?"

"Yes. Cain himself sent me down after we saw that there was a human on this planet. Wait! Are those Cylons?!! What happened?" Aries asked.

"You won't believe the story I have to tell you, buddy." Starbuck said.

Starbuck proceeded to tell Aries about how he crashed on the planet, and his encounter with Cy, Angela and the baby.

"Wheeoooo…that is some tale!" Aries exclaimed.

"All true." Starbuck said. He looked in sadness at his fallen friend Cy. All his efforts could not bring the Cylon back online.

"I'm ready to get off this planet. I think this was a test and I have passed." Starbuck said.

"Test? What test?" Aries asked.

"Never mind, buddy. I'll tell you about this later." Starbuck said.

He and Aries approached the viper and Aries handed Starbuck a helmet. He had brought one down just in case. Aries and Starbuck climbed into the viper and the cockpit closed and launched off into space.

Starbuck turned and looked at the planet below as it passed out of view.

"Good bye my friend. Good bye Cy" he whispered.

Starbuck turned his attention to the front.

"The Pegasus! By all that's holy! It survived?!" Starbuck exclaimed as it came into view.

Aries bit back a chuckle. "Commander Cain did it again. We thought we were done for. Then Cain pulled a really amazing maneuver . No wonder they call him The Juggernaut"

"I agree, buddy. I agree!" Starbuck said.

The viper soon was approaching the Pegasus' beta landing bay.

Starbuck again was thinking about Athena. //I need to be with Athena. Cain is good for Cassie. I have tried to deny that. But, it's true.//

The viper landed and both lieutenants climbed out of the cockpit and were soon on their way to the bridge.

Cain looked over and smiled as Aries and Starbuck approached him.

"Lt. Starbuck. By the Lords of Kobol, it's good to see you." Cain said.

Suddenly… a bright flash of lights appeared …then just as suddenly disappeared…

"Commander! You're not going to believe this. I am picking up what appears to be a battlestar and other ships!" Zolan cried out.

"Check again, Colonel. Maybe our scanners need to be checked." Cain ordered.

Zolan checked his readings three times.

"Commander. All my readings are functioning normally. Commander! The battlestar..it's…..it's the Galactica!" Zolan barely managed to say, he was so stunned by the revelation.

"The Galactica. Then it's true. I'll be reunited with Sheba once again." Cain said with a huge smile on his face. He tried not to cry outright. His eyes were misty. It wouldn't do to let his officers and crew see tears. Not for the Juggernaut.

" Sheba will be very glad to see you. So will Cassie." Starbuck offered.

"Cassie?" Cain replied rather surprised by this revelation.

"You and Cassie are right for each other Commander. I have always loved Athena." Starbuck said with a shrug. "It just took being marooned on a planet for me to figure it out."

The Pegasus soon sighted the Galactica.

Cain signaled Zolan to open a link on the comline used between warships.

The signal soon reached the Galactica.

"Commander. There's a signal coming over….from the Pegasus! I checked the comline signal. But, it reads the Pegasus! I checked the scanners. They're not faulty." Tigh exclaimed.

"By the Lords!" Adama exclaimed "It's a miracle. A blessed miracle!."

Sheba, who was on the bridge with Apollo at the time, heard the communication and was crying, tears of joy. Athena too cried when she discovered Starbuck was aboard. She had so hoped to see Starbuck again. Cassie was overwhelmed with joy about Cain . She looked at Athena. //Athena is right for Starbuck. I've known that all along. I belong with Cain. It's just as it should be.// Cassiopeia thought.

The entire bridge crew, as well as Athena, Apollo , Sheba , and Cassiopeia erupted into cheers.

"Permission to come aboard." Cain said. "Good to see you again Adama. You baddaca I knew you'd be sitting on your astrum."

"Permission granted." Adama said with a huge smile on his face.

Cain's shuttle was on its way towards the Galactica with Starbuck onboard.

Angela was back on board the Ship of Lights. She was now garbed head to foot in white.

//I judge Starbuck and Cain to be good. So very good.//

The Ship of Lights became brighter and brighter and disappeared from view.

The shuttle carrying Starbuck and Cain soon approached the Galactica's landing bay.

Starbuck and Cain turned and smiled at each other.

They were at last home.

The last surviving battlestars, Galactica and Pegasus, lead a rag tag fugitive fleet on a quest not so lonely anymore.. A quest for a shining planet known as Earth.


End file.
